‘There was always a great buzz around the Slane concerts’ - Gardai remember Henry's 'can-do approach' to famous gigs

An Garda Síochána in Navan has had a long association with Henry Mount Charles through the policing of the concerts at Slane Castle.

Their involvement goes right back to the first concert in 1981 headed by Thin Lizzy.

Supt Ronan Farrelly worked at every Slane concert since 2000 – initially in his previous role attached to the Garda Press Office, and then when he moved to Navan in 2008.

"The planning starts months in advance and can get very intense in the final weeks before a gig. But there is always a great buzz surrounding these events and they certainly put Slane on the map. Henry was always accommodating and very flexible to our own needs. He had a ‘can-do’ approach. He was always entertaining, quick-witted and had great anecdotes from various concerts over the years ," said Supt Farrelly.

"He made a point of visiting all the team in the event control room at concerts. Once I recall he was only just out of hospital and not very well, but he still made a point of walking up to meet everybody , which I thought was very nice gesture.

"It’s the end of an era and Henry will be missed, but Alex is now carrying the baton and I have no doubt that he will keep Slane Castle rocking into the future."

Retired Garda Chief Supt Michael Finnegan remembers Henry Mount Charles at some of the highest and some of the lowest points in his life.

"The killing of Timothy Kidman took the biggest toll on Henry and his family. They considered him part of the family.

Michael Finnegan was inside Slane Garda station when a drunken mob attacked it the night before the Bob Dylan concert in 1984. He says real reason for the riots was that the concert was on a Sunday. "People were arriving in the village on the Friday and Saturday, “drinking themselves into oblivion. Henry vowed after that that there would never again be a concert on a Sunday and he kept to that”.

Michael remembers the enormous preparation that went on for months on end prior to a concert. ""here was one thing always uppermost in Henry’s mind – the security and safety of the village of Slane."

After the fire devastating fire at the castle in 1991, he remembers him saying that “if it was the last thing I do I’ll restore the castle”.

Supt Martina Noonan who has worked on Slane concerts since 2011 described Lord Mount Charles as "an absolute gentleman."

"He was very easy to work with, listened to your ideas and he appreciated the support the gardai gave for every concert.

“His first priority was always to ensure the locals were looked after."